Wakari Hospital cuts scaled back

Proposed cuts to Wakari Hospital mental health beds have been
scaled back by the Southern District Health Board.

The board wanted to halve capacity in ward 11,Wakari's
sub-acute ward, from 24 beds to 12, sparking public and staff
concern the move would put pressure on community services.

In a document released yesterday the board said it listened
to concerns and would instead reduce beds to 16.

''We agree ... the reduction to 12 beds may increase pressure
on other services and inpatient beds. While we believe this
issue can be mitigated, we accept the need to allow time for
all services to adjust to a decrease in beds across the
district.''

Public Service Association southern region organiser Julie
Morton was surprised by the change of heart, which she said
signalled a more sensible step towards what was likely to be
further reductions.

''I assumed that despite consultation this was a fait
accompli.''

Staff would not know for a few weeks who would be redeployed
to other parts of the mental health service.

Originally, the board wanted to reduce staff in the ward by
nearly 13 (full-time equivalent), but under the final
decision, this was reduced by nearly four full-time
positions.

Nearly nine full-time positions would be redeployed, although
in practice it would be fewer because of existing vacancies,
mental health nursing director Heather Casey said last night
in an interview.

The board accepted it might have been ''pushing it a bit
far'' in the initial proposal, she said.

''It takes a while for the wider services to adjust to bed
reductions, and we thought this was a safer and easier
transition.''

The board would review occupancy data later this year to see
if further adjustments could be made.

''At the moment, we have less than 16 people in those beds,
so no patients will be directly affected. Any affected staff
will be redeployed elsewhere within the mental health
service,'' she said.

Considering the number of people in prisons who are mentally
unwell is cannot be a good idea to cut mental health
facilities, including inpatient facilities. While a cut
in the cut is a step in the right direction, it seems to me
as a taxpayer that I would get better value from the
government's use of my dollars to treat these people in a
dedicated therapeutic environment instead of picking them up
when they offend and putting them in a place which is not
about addressing the underlying cause. Although
prisoners can get a certain amount of health care including
mental health the emphasis is on containment and management.
This is appropriate for a prison, but not for mentally
ill individuals. Besides, not only law-breakers are
affected, families and the community are under stress
dealing with the people trying to deal with their
unmanageable interior demons and anguish that cause them to
behave they never would if only they were well. For the
sake of us all, including the mentally well, please don't
skimp on mental health facilities, it is false economy.